Anti smoking adverts

[sparkindarkness]

Now, as is very well known, adverts tend to annoy me. But in this case there is a flip side because I hate smoking. Not for the health and expense reasons (if you’re dumb enough to do it in this day and age you know the risks so more fool you) but because I loathe the smell. I have a great sense of smell and the smell of cigarettes - on breath, clothing, in a room and certainly coming from the items in question makes me gag. It’s a truly vile stench.

However, anti-smoking adverts tend to annoy me more. Actually there are 3 kinds.
Example 1:
I can’t find a link for this one but basically it has a lot of people stuck on the top of cigarettes the size of large buildings and a cherry picker being used to help them down. The idea was they were “stuck” on cigarettes but there was help available.

A good advert. It acknowledged help may be needed. Help is there, it informed you where you could get help. Bonus. Job done. No problem.

Then there’s this - Example 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SWZorDe6o4

Ok, a bit patronising a bit preachy, but it is informative. It tells you (fairly useless) info that may not be common knowledge, but it’s not tooo bad.


Then there’s Example 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohrkqWBnm24
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcE-fbI16Ik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tA3vO-BgoM

Ok, y’know what? Smokers are ADULTS and this emotional blackmail manipulative crap is just wrong. Do you think they don’t know smoking is unhealthy? Do you think they don’t KNOW that smoking reduces their life expectancy? You have to be living under a rock for the last 10 years not to. Every packet tells you that you’re sucking poison into your lungs.

And, hey, even if it WAS a matter of ignorance do you think this is the best way to present it? There are plenty of sensible, sane, RESPECTFUL ways you could tell people “that’s dangerous” that don’t involve you trying to emotionally slap someone upside the head.

But hey, bonus points for scaring the crap out of all the children of smokers who will be watching, right? Because that’s got to count for something.

Seriously, I am sick to death of patronising shock adverts designed to scare adults out of bad behaviour like they’re some kind of naughty children. Yes people do things we want to discourage - but there’s no shortage of idiot habits out there. If the activity isn’t illegal then have the decency to treat adults with basic respect and the right to screw up their own health if they choose to do so and spare us this emotional-blackmail condescending crap.

Comments

[oxfordgirl.livejournal.com]

Yeah. This, basically.

I don't mind being told that smoking is bad for me; I positively encourage it. I'd rather be bombarded with the message from every piece of cigarette advertising and packaging than risk one person in this civilised country not knowing.

When I smoked, I did it at least partially out of the same self-destructive/risk-taking/adrenaline-coaxing impulses that cause me to drink heavily, ski dangerously, and do simulated combat sports. So the "Danger of Death!" warnings didn't really help; when I eventually made the decision to quit, it was (mostly) because my athletic health became more important to me than my enjoyment of cigarettes. However, I acknowledge that's not the same for everyone, and some people will be scared by the danger of death, which is great.

You're right; the third type of advert is patronising, unnecessary, and, IMO sets up an "us and them" dichotomy in the mind of the stubborn British smoker who's likely to resist what she sees as unreasonable pressure by, perversely, continuing in her behaviour.

[cazmanian-minx.livejournal.com]

Do you mind if I pass this onto my brother? I think these ads might fall under his control.

[oxfordgirl.livejournal.com]

If Sparky does give permission, please do pass on my thoughts too, if they're at all helpful. :)

[cazmanian-minx.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I will :o)

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Definitely :) I like it when my loud mouth is spread far and wide :)

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Exactly - we're a stubborn people. Having condescension beamed at us is going to get our backs up. ESPECIALLY if it sends little Bratleigh to mummy crying because of the advert

By all means inform but there's no need to do it in such a patronising fashion. I agree with informing - but act like you're informing ADULTS

[zero_pixel_count]

...from the office;

Colleague: "...today is anti-smoking day" (or words to that effect)
Me: You do realise that now I know that, I'm going to have to have a cigarette. Even though I probably wouldn't have smoked at all today, otherwise. Just out of stubbornness.